In this study, students investigate whether and how much the native understory shrub pawpaw (Asimina triloba) may affect tree regeneration in a forested habitat. During one lab period in the field, they collect data on the densities of tree seedlings and saplings under varying densities of pawpaws. During a second lab period in a classroom, they test whether tree densities are lower under...

Publisher: EcoEd Digital Library

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Ecological processes and patterns interact at various scales across landscapes. Spatially explicit consideration of pattern and process can better inform ecological questions. This Figure Set introduces students to the variability in scales of pattern and process and to the fundamentals of Landscape Ecology. TIEE

Publisher: EcoEd Digital Library

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One of the simplest questions an ecologist can ask about a site is how many species live there. The answer is important for basic researchers and managers alike, but can be deceptively hard to obtain. This exercise introduces students to the issues surrounding the estimation of species richness, and can be completed in a single three-hour lab session. Students will learn to collect data in the...

Publisher: EcoEd Digital Library

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Lab exercise to teach principles of sampling and developing species accumulation curves, using the game pieces from a Scrabble® board game.

Publisher: EcoEd Digital Library

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Using tiles from a Scrabble game, we present methods to create simulations of sampling exercises and to develop diversity indices. The tiles represent species, and so a known sampling universe (100 tiles) allows comparing a sample with the known distribution of species. We then offer several variations to simulate different kinds of sampling (larger sample size, more samples), alter the rarity...

Publisher: EcoEd Digital Library

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